Brolin: I Couldn't Wait To Leave 'Oldboy' Role

By ZACH SEEMAYER

December 04, 2013

Though Oldboy opened to disappointing numbers at the box office, actor Josh Brolin's account of making the dark film may fill some seats.

The remake of the chilling Korean psychological thriller of the same name, is directed by Spike Lee and stars Josh Brolin as Joe Doucett, a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned in a jail cell that looks like a hotel room. Joe is never told why he's been locked up, and he goes mad while spending 20 years with no human interaction.

One day, he wakes up inside a steamer trunk in the middle of a field, and he sets off to find out who imprisoned him with vengeance on his mind.

This film, like its predecessor, is a dark exploration of obsession and violence, filled with shocking turns that tear at viewers' heart strings and senses of morality. Brolin, 45, sat down to discuss what it is that drew him to such a brooding role, and what it was like to get inside the mind of Joe Doucett.

"I couldn't wait to walk away from that character," Brolin said. "That's the thing. It's like some people want to stay in that, and I appreciate that totally. And other people want to do what I do, and just get as far away from it as possible."

Brolin continued, "I try to have as good a time as I can, so that I'm as affected as an actor in the story as hopefully the audience is watching the movie."

As for working on Oldboy with Lee, Brolin said the set was full of experimentation and exploration as the two worked closely to get the unpredictability and disturbing atmosphere that permeates the film.

Brolin revealed that Lee would just put music on in a scene and see what would happen as the cameras rolled and "if you're naked, great, and maybe we'll put a mouse in the room, and then deal with him. It's like experimental theater in that way. You have a general blue print of what you want to do, but with Spike you know it's going to be fairly experimental. Which is daunting, and a lot of fun."